Total: 6,685A note from Skye:Now this is more like it! Finally days of hot south winds were at an end and a cold front overnight got the waterbirds all riled up. The count was good right out the starting gates this morning and kept pumping well into the late afternoon until the encroaching rain finally shut things down. It was a great dabbler day, with most of the species being seen, including the first Gadwall of the season. Another duck making its first appearance for the fall was a single Red-breasted Merganser. The early morning light was harsh, and too many ducks were flying out over the ocean into the sun, but by mid-morning, the light was perfect on them and provided some great looks.

Double-crested Cormorants made a good show, and I was treated to an excellent flight of Great Blue Herons. I've quickly come to appreciate the flights of these ponderous birds, often migrating high and far out over the ocean. Michael O'Brian sent out a message that after dark there was a large lift-off of herons from Cape May Point, and the few minutes I spent in our staff house driveway, I was impressed with the number of squawks and croaks coming down from the misty evening. Interestingly, even though there was a good morning/afternoon flight of herons, I had none in my last few hours of the Seawatch.

Quite a few passerines came off the ocean this morning, but between the poor morning light and a heavy duck flight, I was not able to snag too many songbirds before they headed inland. But here is what I got for non-waterbirds:

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Cape May Hawkwatch - September 1 to November 30

Sunrise to 5:00 P.M. every day. Join the CMBO official hawk counter, Erik Bruhnke and interpretive naturalists at the Hawkwatch Platform at the Cape May Point State Park under one of the greatest hawk migrations in North America. Flights totaling more than 1,000 hawks per day occur several times each autumn. The Hawkwatch is a partnership project with the N.J. Division of Parks and Forestry.

Songbird Morning Flight Count - August 15 to October 31

Four hours beginning at sunrise every day. Migrant songbirds move past the northwest corner of Cape Island every morning in the fall. Join other observers at the small observation tower just south of the jetty parking area at Higbee Beach. Turn right onto the unpaved road at the west end of New England Road to access the viewing tower. This year's counter is again Glen Davis.

Avalon Seawatch - September 22 - December 22

Join the CMBO official Seawatch counter David Weber to witness amazing numbers of migrating scoters, loons, cormorants, gannets, and more. Peak daily numbers can exceed 50,000. Bring binoculars, telescope, sunglasses, sunscreen, warm clothes, and high expectations to the beach between 8th and 9th street in Avalon (note, this is a new location as of 2015!). Click here for more information.